


A Tale of Two

by LilyFlowerBlooms



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Actions have concequences, F/M, Gen, Lady Stallingford, Old Friend, Other, Past Relationship(s), Surpise, Time is running out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 05:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11395965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyFlowerBlooms/pseuds/LilyFlowerBlooms
Summary: Sherlock receives a letter from an old friend needing his help. Suddenly the game is afoot, but is Sherlock in deeper than he can handle?





	A Tale of Two

Watson was sitting at his laptop typing up the previous case, _‘The Lady Undone’._ His hands typed slowly as he was having a difficult time as he could not get his thoughts together.

_“The lady was walking down a long winding road when-”_

_THUNK_

The hand ball hit the wall and bounced back to Sherlock. Who was lounging on the sofa in the front parlor in his silk smoking jacket even though he had given up smoking he had not gotten rid of the jacket, however it could use a wash. Watson ground his teeth and tried to go back to his writing. _“The woman walking-_

_THUNK_

“Sherlock!” Watson snapped.

“What?”

“ _The ball_ , I am trying to get my blog written before Saturday.” Watson snapped turning to the source of his irritation. Sherlock rose from the sofa and started to bounce the ball on the floor.

“Here I thought it was something important.” Sherlock bounced the ball again. “I am _bored._ ” He replied drawing out the last word. Watson pressed his lips together before countering “What about those three cases that the Chief Inspector brought you this morning?”

“Done.” Sherlock replied, bouncing the ball off the wall idly.

“The man on the stairs? Honestly that made absolutely no sense” Watson asked, thinking about the rather odd case.  “Wife and a string.” Sherlock was up and pacing. “Boringgg.”

“What about the Hartford Diamond? How did they get it out without any one seeing it? They were caught only moments later and no diamond. I saw that tape, there was no way they got it out”

“They didn’t, they had help from the inside. Remember the ten second glitch in the security video?” Sherlock replied with a slight smirk.

“That was not enough time to hide it.” Watson countered, sure he had Sherlock.

“No, but plenty enough to drop it. Remember the small vent in the floor? The stone was just small enough to be dropped in. The inspector just called to say they had recovered it and along with the other accomplice.”

Watson irritated watched the man pacing the floor idly bouncing the ball around the room. He scratched his chin thoughtfully before asking “What about the Sharpford dog champion? How exactly do you steal a half million pedigree dog during a show and why?”

Sherlock grinned this time, this had been an easy one. “Easy, by shaving the dog and walking it out the front door. Being a long haired dog, no one would have recognized it and as to why. Pinky, as he is known as, is sterile, so the why is the insurance money. A prize winner is no good if they cannot reproduce.”

Watson realized in that moment he would get nothing done today.

Suddenly there was a light tap on the door before Mrs. Hudson stuck her head in the door. The elderly landlady was always a bubbly light in two bachelor’s lives.

“Mrs. Hudson?” Watson asked, curious of her sudden appearance. He noticed she looked somewhat worried. What caught his eye was the letter she held.

“Sherlock, what’s this?” She inquired, holding the letter out to Sherlock.

“It appears to be a letter.” Sherlock replied. He walked over, gingerly taking the letter from Ms. Hudson.  On the front of the vellum paper of a deep oatmeal color was ‘Sherlock” in a delicate cursive, and on the back was a red wax seal. Even though these kinds of seals were coming back in to vogue, this one was old and part of the peerage of Great Britain.

“Now who in this day and age sends a sealed letter?” Watson asked, looking over to Ms. Hudson who was still standing in the doorway watching Sherlock curiously.

Sherlock was still standing in the same spot looking at the letter with an unreadable expression. He then walked over to the large secretary desk that was sitting close to the window and sat down. and opened the bottom drawer. Something that Watson had never seen him do. Inside the drawer was a large metal box with a tumbler lock. It took Sherlock about eight seconds to open the box. There were several documents and old coins and a letter of the exact same paper in it. Sherlock looked up at Watson and said one word.

“Maddie.” His voice had a steel edge to it.

"Who's Maddie?” Watson asked as he watched a thoughtful expression cross Sherlock’s features.

Sherlock did not answer.

“Mrs. Hudson, is there someone waiting downstairs?” Mrs. Hudson was startled by the question, with a jolt she replied “Why, yes there is.”

Sherlock was suddenly out of his dressing gown and into his heavy woolen jacket and grabbing his Deer hunter on his way out. Watson called his name as he rushed after him, surprised by his sudden hurry.

Sherlock looked back at his companion, “The game is afoot, Watson”

“What? How do you know you haven’t even opened the letter yet?” Watson replied confused at Sherlock’s proclamation.

“That’s because the letter is the mystery. It would have only been sent if there’s a _very_ large problem. In other words, this letter is a call for help.” Sherlock was opening the door and down the hallway, Watson was close behind. Mrs. Hudson was following behind closing the door by habit with a slight sigh and a grumble about not being their housekeeper.

A man was standing at the bottom of the stair landing.

“She sent a Chauffer.”

“Sherlock?” Watson was mystified how he knew. “How?”

“He is holding a driving hat behind him, there are scratches on his left shoe from entering and leaving a very large vehicle. Under the London Fog that he is wearing is a much tailored suit. One that is quiet expensive and chosen by a woman with rather good taste.”

“Oh.”

“I have been instructed to drive you to the office, sir.” The tall thin man was slightly balding and ruddy complexion that told Sherlock that he was probably Welsh. That would hold true with what Sherlock knew about his employer.

“You’re her regular driver, why are you in London?” Sherlock asked.

“Because of the nature of what is going on, she does not want this to be common knowledge. She believes that your presence in this matter should be keep quiet. With the divorce going on there are things that she has to be very _particular_ about.” He replied, his expression stony.

“She and Radnor are getting a divorce.” Sherlock said with a sudden realization.

“She is seeking a divorce, but Radnor is fighting it. He is also trying to get the children as part of the settlement.” The driver replied.

Sherlock nodded, and continued “From what I have been reading she caught him in a compromising position with another lover.”

“Sir, I would rather she is the one to explain.”

“Admirable of you. You think very highly of your employer.”

“Yes Sir, Lady Madeline has been very good to me and mine.” Watson perked up. He knew that name very well.

“She hired you when no one else would.” Sherlock continued “Prison time is not a good reference on a resume.” Sherlock was watching every body movement and tone the Chauffer made,  Sherlock realized that he had hit a nerve when the man tightened his jaw and swallowed nervously, This added to his theory that there was a great deal more going on than the man could tell him and he had the feeling that something was very wrong.

“She’s not in London is she?” Sherlock asked flatly.

“Sir, I am not supposed to do anything but bring you to the office.”

“Why?”

“Sir, I don’t know.”

“Then let’s find out.” Sherlock open the door and started out to find a large black Bentley in front of 221 Baker Street.

Sherlock turned to Ms. Hudson who had been quietly standing behind the two men. “I don’t think that we will be returning tonight,” With that Sherlock whirled out the door. “Our chariot awaits, Watson.”

“Sherlock, are you going to tell me how you Know Lady Madeline Stallingford one of the wealthiest women in England?” Watson asked was climbing in behind him.

“Not yet.” Sherlock closed the door.


End file.
